It's YOUR economy, stupid

Alright to be honest, I hate that phrase (completely over-used & satirized) but I couldn't come up with something clever for a title for this post.

Over the past seven months I've had countless conversations with friends, acquaintances, and strangers about what I do for a living. Although sometimes I have a hard time explaining it, my most common answer is that I work in community and economic development for Ohio City, a neighborhood of Cleveland.

Sometimes I'm greeted by confusion. Other times by comments of support and inquisition. Too often, though, I'm told something along the lines of "Good for you, somebody needs to be doing that." (PS this happened to me tonight)

Well, that phrase is beginning to bother me. Yes, I am grateful to have my job, and yes, I do believe that the work I do has an impact on the community. But even with all my peers in the civic industry behind me, we cannot change Cleveland in the way that the rest of the region can. It is only when as a region we choose to use our resources to change Cleveland's economy that we will. 80 hours a week from me won't do it - you will.